Practical applications of soft-matter dynamics are of vital importance in material science, chemical engineering, biophysics and biotechnology, food processing, plastic industry, micro- and nano-system technology, and other technologies based on non-crystalline and non-glassy materials. Principles of Soft-Matter Dynamics. Basic Theories, Non-invasive Methods, Mesoscopic Aspects covers fundamental dynamic phenomena such as diffusion, relaxation, fluid dynamics, normal modes, order fluctuations, adsorption and wetting processes. It also elucidates the applications of the principles and of the methods referring to polymers, liquid crystals and other mesophases, membranes, amphiphilic systems, networks, and porous media including multiphase and multi-component materials, colloids, fine-particles, and emulsions. The book presents all formalisms, examines the basic concepts needed for applications of soft-matter science, and reviews non-invasive experimental techniques such as the multi-faceted realm of NMR methods, neutron and light quasi-elastic scattering, mechanical relaxation and dielectric broadband spectroscopy which are treated and compared on a common and consistent foundation. The standard concepts of dynamics in fluids, polymers, liquid crystals, colloids and adsorbates are comprehensively derived in a step-by-step manner. Principles and analogies common to diverse application fields are elucidated and theoretical and experimental aspects are supplemented by computational-physics considerations. Principles of Soft-Matter Dynamics. Basic Theories, Non-invasive Methods, Mesoscopic Aspects appeals to graduate and PhD students, post-docs, researchers, and industrial scientists alike.

Soft matter (polymers, colloids, surfactants and liquid crystals) are an important class of materials in modern technology. They also form the basis of many future technologies, for example in medical and environmental applications. Soft matter shows complex behaviour between fluids and solids, and used to be a synonym of complex materials. Due to the developments of the past two decades, soft condensed matter can now be discussed on the same sound physical basis as solid condensed matter. The purpose of this book is to provide an overview of soft matter for undergraduate and graduate students in physics and materials science. The book provides an introduction to soft matter (what it is, and what are the characteristics of such materials), and also provides the reader with the physical basis for understanding and discussing such characteristics in more detail. Many basic concepts, which are required in advanced courses of condensed matter physics, such as coarse graining, scaling, phase separation, order-disorder transition, Brownian motion, and fluctuation-dissipation theorem, are explained in detail with various forms of soft matter used as examples.

This volume contains a collection of review articles on the current topics of non-equilibrium soft matter physics written by leading experts in the field. It deals with topics such as evaporation, structual rheology, and active matter.

This book highlights the mathematical models and solutions of the generalized dynamics of soft-matter quasicrystals (SMQ) and introduces possible applications of the theory and methods. Based on the theory of quasiperiodic symmetry and symmetry breaking, the book treats the dynamics of individual quasicrystal systems by reducing them to nonlinear partial differential equations and then provides methods for solving the initial-boundary value problems in these equations. The solutions obtained demonstrate the distribution, deformation and motion of SMQ and determine the stress, velocity and displacement fields. The interactions between phonons, phasons and fluid phonons are discussed in some fundamental materials samples. The reader benefits from a detailed comparison of the mathematical solutions for both solid and soft-matter quasicrystals, gaining a deeper understanding of the universal properties of SMQ. The second edition covers the latest research progress on quasicrystals in topics such as thermodynamic stability, three-dimensional problems and solutions, rupture theory, and the photonic band-gap and its applications. These novel chapters make the book an even more useful and comprehensive reference guide for researchers in condensed matter physics, chemistry and materials sciences.

Interested in analysing complex systems? Have you considered nuclear magnetic relaxation studies to derive sound conclusions? Here’s how. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxation techniques form a family of powerful tools to study and characterize liquid, solid or semi-solid materials and systems. They provide access to details directly and in wide variable ranges. This book outlines the unparalleled potential of NMR relaxation experiments to elucidate molecular dynamics. The key concepts discussed are correlation functions and spectral densities of the thermal fluctuations of spin interactions. For users working in technology, chemical engineering, materials science, biomedicine, food science, geophysics and physical chemistry, the text explores the principles, theoretical background and descriptions of typical applications. As an essential part of relaxation data, the focus is on the statistical features of molecular dynamics. The aim is to assist the reader to acquire meaningful nuclear magnetic relaxation data sets and develop appropriate statistical models as a basis for their interpretation. This unique text is targeted to anyone performing or interested in NMR relaxation experiments from undergraduates to academics and those in industry.

Written by active investigators in the field, this book describes state-of-the-art methods that can accelerate the acquisition of 2D NMR spectra in solution-state NMR. The acquisition of fast multi-dimensional NMR data has motivated numerous ground-breaking developments in NMR pulse sequences and associated data processing methods. These in turn have revolutionized the way 2D NMR acquisitions are performed, at the same time broadening the scope of applications of 2D NMR. The first part of the book provides an in-depth description of the concepts and implementation of major fast 2D NMR methods. The second part follows with illustrations of how such methods can be used in applications that require the acquisition of fast 2D NMR spectra, from reaction monitoring to hyperpolarization, including applications to a broad variety of samples and experimental conditions. Appealing to readers from both the methodology and applications communities, this title will fill a gap in the market for a book focused on small molecule NMR, and researchers from both academia and industry will find a rich plethora of knowledge.

The goal of this book is to provide an introduction to the practical use of mobile NMR at a level as basic as the operation of a smart phone. Each description follows the same didactic pattern: introduction, basic theory, pulse sequences and parameters, beginners-level measurements, advanced-level measurements, and data processing. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most popular method for chemists to analyze molecular structures while Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for medical doctors that provides high-contrast images of biological tissue depicting the brain function and the beating heart. In both applications large super-conducting magnets are employed which magnetize atomic nuclei of an object positioned inside the magnet. Their circulating motion is interrogated by radio-frequency waves. Depending on the operating mode, the frequency spectrum provides the chemist with molecular information, the medical doctor with anatomic images, while the materials scientist is interested in NMR relaxation parameters, which scale with material properties and determine the contrast in magnetic resonance images. Recent advances in magnet technology led to a variety of small permanent magnets, by which NMR spectra, images, and relaxation parameters can be measured with mobile and low-cost instruments.

Global climate change is the most important challenge humankind is facing in the modern era. One of the main scientific concerns is the monitoring of contaminants in the environment, which require the right environmental remediation strategies. In this context, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques have a very important role in enabling the discovery of how pollutants are transformed, how they can move and how they can affect human health. This book discusses the present and the future perspectives of NMR techniques for environmental evaluations. It covers, amongst other topics, the importance of NMR as a contamination discovery tool, how to improve sensitivity in environmental NMR, and multiphase NMR for measurement of samples in their natural state. Samples include lubricant oils, soils and porous media. Due to the direct relationship between the environment and human health, there is information dedicated to the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor human health as related to environmental pollution. There is also a chapter on how NMR is used in cultural heritage to measure artefacts directly affected by environmental pollution. Filling a gap in the literature, the book is for researchers explaining how to apply their knowledge of NMR techniques to solve environmental problems, and for students who want to deepen their understanding of this topic.

Dynamics of Soft Matter: Neutron Applications provides an overview of neutron scattering techniques that measure temporal and spatial correlations simultaneously, at the microscopic and/or mesoscopic scale. These techniques offer answers to new questions arising at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology. Knowledge of the dynamics at these levels is crucial to understanding the soft matter field, which includes colloids, polymers, membranes, biological macromolecules, foams, emulsions towards biological & biomimetic systems, and phenomena involving wetting, friction, adhesion, or microfluidics. Emphasizing the complementarities of scattering techniques with other spectroscopic ones, this volume also highlights the potential gain in combining techniques such as rheology, NMR, light scattering, dielectric spectroscopy, as well as synchrotron radiation experiments. Key areas covered include polymer science, biological materials, complex fluids and surface science.